Meet This Year’s Teacher Residency Scholarship Recipients

February 4, 2025 – The College of Education (COE) has announced the recipients of this year’s teacher residency scholarships. Each year, three scholarships are awarded to current students in their residency teaching roles: The Beverly Hope Presley Scholarship, the Theodora Jackson Cummings Education Scholarship and the Turetzky Family Teacher Candidate Scholarship. Each scholarship is awarded to an “as needed” number of individuals, and this year the number of students was five.

(L/R - Luther, Smith, Cortez, Partee)

Receiving the Beverly Hope Presley Scholarship are Chasity Partee and Reese Mayfield. Partee is a Teaching All Learners (TALN) and an ambassador for COE on the Central Campus, while Mayfield is a TALN major at the Lambuth Campus in Jackson, Tenn.

Reese Mayfield

"Receiving this scholarship has been a tremendous blessing, helping to cover my remaining balance so I can focus fully on my academics without the stress of financial concerns,” said Partee. “It’s a gift that allows me to dedicate myself to achieving my goals and making the most of this final stage of my undergraduate journey."

Mayfield said, “This scholarship is a blessing to me and my daughter. Receiving this scholarship made it possible for me not to have to work this final semester. That means that I will get to spend my evenings with her and not miss out on any memories or milestones.”

Makayla Luther is the recipient of the Theodora Jackson Cummings Scholarship. Luther is a Human Development and Learning major currently serving her residency in Bartlett City Schools. She says receiving this scholarship is a testament to her hard work in this final stretch of her bachelor’s program.

“This scholarship motivates me to continue striving for excellence in the classroom,” Luther said. “It reminds me why I chose this path, to make a difference in the lives of my students. I am so proud of how far I’ve come, and I am even more excited for the future as I work to become the teacher my students deserve.” 

Megan Smith and Vanessa Cortez are the recipients of the Turetzky Family Scholarship.  Both TALN majors say that this scholarship will allow them to focus more on their students in their final semester of student teaching.

“It has been invaluable in supporting my student teaching classroom and giving my all to my students,” Smith said. “This has enabled me to give more to my students and their academic success instead of worrying about finances. I cannot thank the Scholarship committee enough for the opportunities they have given me this year.”

“Knowing that the college has recognized my hard work and dedication to this journey means so much to me—it’s both humbling and inspiring as I move forward into this next phase of my career,” said Cortez.

Teacher residency scholarships are awarded at different times than the rest of the COE’s scholarships at the undergraduate and graduate level. Remaining scholarship recipients will be announced at the end of the spring semester.

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